Indonesian Police Interrogation With Two-Meter Snake

On the island of New Guinea, officials slapped a suspected
thief in handcuffs. The animal is safe.

With an unusual interrogation method, the Indonesian police
has received a lot of criticism. On the island of New Guinea, officers in a
cell used a snake at least two meters long to handcuff a suspected thief.
Following torture allegations by human rights activists, the police apologized.

The video was distributed by human rights lawyer Veronica
Koman via Twitter. The scene lasts more than a minute. One of the policemen
holds the snake right in the face of the suspect sitting on the ground. From
the background the question can be heard: “How many times have you stolen
cell phones?” A police spokesman said on Monday, “This method is
wrong, we apologize.” Disciplinary action was taken against an official.

According to the police, the snake is a non-toxic specimen
kept on the area as a kind of pet. In the past it had been used several times
to bring drunken rioters to their senses. The police spokesman said, “If
the drunkards see the snake, they usually start behaving.”